Coffee Princess
by Avalonian Witch
Summary: Mamoru Chiba is broke, loves coffee and had just scored a job at an up and coming coffee shop. But with a coworker like Usagi Tsukino, a rag-tag group of baristas and a little crossdressing: will being a Coffee Princess prove too much? -AU, U/M-
1. First Cup

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or the characters within.

AN: This is the first _series_ I plan on doing for Sailor Moon. I've taken elements from one of my favorite Korean dramas, Coffee Prince and made them my own. This is not an adaptation of the drama and will not have a similar storyline. Clearly this is an AU story and not set in the canon Sailor Moon universe. I hope you will enjoy and all your comments are welcome.

Coffee Princess

First Cup

Ever since Mamoru could remember he had loved Coffee.

There was something so warm and inviting about the whole experience. From preparation to consumption everything about coffee soothed him. His parents always seemed to have a coffee cup in hand and he grew to love the smell. When they died it was only the scent of a rich roast that could comfort him from the agonizing loneliness he felt.

After he was discharged from the orphanage he made his way by working odd jobs. Some days he would help deliver food or newspapers, other days he did construction – but on his nights off he would go to his favorite coffee place and watch the baristas prepare drinks. Soon he discovered he had a knack for making coffee, but he wasn't the type that coffee shops were interested in hiring. So he stuck to working the occasional outdoor coffee cart.

Eventually, times got tough and odd jobs just weren't cutting it. He needed a solid job and he needed it fast. That was when his "best friend" Motoki got him an interview with a new, but popular coffee shop. He'd said there was a small catch but Mamoru didn't care. He needed the money badly and any job was better than no job. Never once did he imagine that he would end up working…like…like _this_.

"Mamoru! Mamo-Chan!" An odangoed blonde named Usagi smacked him upside the head playfully with a serving tray. "Table five wants a refill and Mako-Chan says your dress is crooked!"

Giggling, he had managed to develop a convincing giggle, he nodded and tugged at his skirt with disdain. "Sorry Usagi-Chan! This fabric just won't sit still!"

Picking up his serving tray he sauntered femininely over to table five. Using his perfectly manicured hand to flip back a strand of his long, black hair he winked at the customers and bent over to collect their cups. It was this position that allowed one of the occupants of the table to slap him neatly on the backside.

"Kind of flat aren't you, beautiful?"

No. This wasn't what Mamoru had had in mind for a job at all.


	2. Second Cup

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi is a genius. I'm not.

AN: I'm having a pretty good time with this story and it's only the first day! Before anyone asks, a Barista can be male or female. On with the story!

Coffee Princess

Second Cup

"Stabalize the temperature of the porta-filter's group head using a warm glass below the spouts. Begin the pre-infusion cycle. Make sure the water distributes evenly over the top of the espresso pellet…NO! NO NO NO! That's ALL wrong!"

The girl faltered and dropped what, to her, seemed like nothing more than a weird ladle. Kneeling she picked it up and dusted it off on her apron before getting it snatched out of her hands by a fuming brunette. She'd applied to work at Coffee Princess because no HoshiDollars within a 20-mile-radius was hiring. People had warned her that the owner of the shop was a little eccentric but they'd never told her she was downright neurotic.

"What's the big deal? How are they going to know if we prepared correctly before making the coffee? It all tastes the same doesn't it?"

Glancing over her boss's shoulder the young woman watched as a petite blonde behind their boss motioned for her to stop talking. It was too late and the damage was done. She couldn't run out of the establishment fast enough to duck the coffee beans an infuriated Makoto threw at her. It was like being chased by a monster.

"Usagi-chan?" The monster's voice had calmed and was now speaking in a voice heavy with disappointment. "I guess you can call the newspaper and tell them to keep the want ad going. At this rate we're never going to find our barista."

Coffee Princess had once been Kissaten, The Coffee Lounge. After her parents died the only thing Makoto had left of them was the coffee shop. Despite her fears that it would go under she'd found comfort in the support of her friends, Ami and Usagi. It had been Usagi's idea, in particular, to market the store as a place where lovely young women serve expertly prepared coffee.

At first it had just been the three of them. When a HoshiDollars took over the local Shinto temple its former miko, Rei, had applied for a job. Later, Usagi's out-of-work cousin, Minako joined in. None of them could make coffee as well as Makoto and so most of them stuck to making simple drinks; or serving customers in the elaborate costumes Minako came up with. Soon Coffee Princess rose in popularity and they were badly in need of another barista. None of the applicants, however, seemed to know anything about making a good cup of joe.

Rei swept the sullied coffee beans from the floor. "We're never going to find anyone as good as you, Mako-Chan. Why not just hire one of the HoshiDollars rejects?"

Ami, who was glancing over the shop's financial documents, shook her head in agreement. "Mediocre or not, we can't serve our clientele fast enough with just us."

Minako walked out of the employee bathroom looking like something out of a space cadet movie and stood next to her cousin. "But…it's not like any old girl can make these costumes look good!" Usagi chipped in, "and besides…that's not what Coffee Princess is about!"

Makoto latched onto the blondes for dear life. "Exactly! Coffee Princess isn't just any old coffee joint! We're serving the true spirit of the latte, brewing up the best of espressos, hand-dripping the justices of…" Covering her ears with silver-gloved hands, Minako shouted. "We get it! We get it!"

Grinning, the four girls shook their head at their impassioned boss and got back to work.

* * *

"Mamoru, guess what?!"

"You're running away to join a circus and giving me your job at the arcade?!"

"Close!"

Chuckling, Mamoru took a sip of Motoki's coffee as he sat at the bar of Crown Arcade. To anyone else it would have been a regular-ole-cup-of-coffee, but to Mamoru it was torture.

"What kind of beans did you use? Robusta?" He asked, trying not to sound too disgusted. "Oh no." His best friend replied, "I just used the instant stuff." Mamoru pushed the mug away in disgust. "Look, will you listen for a moment?" Motoki continued, "I think I found you a job!"

Instantly, the dark haired man's mood brightened. "What kind of job?"

Grinning cheekily, Motoki pulled out a crumpled up newspaper ad. "Look! It says here: _Seeking talented barista for high quality establishment. Applicant must have a thorough knowledge of brewing techniques,_ _dosing, tamping, pulling and steaming. Must be able to identify different coffee blends. _Sounds like the perfect job for you! Don't you think?"

The truth was that it did seem like the perfect job. Every HoshiDollars he'd gone to had turned him down for not having the right "presence". It seemed to him that they were only interested in the presences of the tanned and buff. They didn't care about the coffee, they only cared about appearances. Years of low-quality meals had landed him squarely in the thin, pale and gangly category. But this place seemed different. From what Motoki had read, it seemed like they were actually interested in hiring someone with an understanding of coffee.

"Y…yeah." Scratching the back of his head he said in a low voice. "Motoki can I use the arcade's phone to call in for an appointment? My line got cut last week and.."

Patting his best friend on the shoulder Motoki nodded in delight. "Let me do it for you!" Before Mamoru could protest Motoki headed to the back. Mamoru could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

"A friend who…an appointment…very knowledgeable." There was a long pause and over the counter Mamoru could see that Motoki was re-reading the newspaper. His best friend looked at the ad, looked at him and looked back at the ad one more time. "Of course! …Yes that's perfect. Thank you!"

The blonde young man took much longer to join his best friend than he had taken to leave him. Chuckling softly to himself he walked around the counter and took a seat next to Mamoru. Hesitantly he spoke, "You have an appointment for tomorrow at 6PM."

It was unnerving to Mamoru, how Motoki kept looking him up and down. Finally he spoke, "Well that's good news. But…what's wrong?"

"Oh…Nothing! Well I mean. It's not that big a deal. I'm sure with a little make-up." Motoki took another moment to size up his companion's physique before being interrupted. "Excuse me? Make up?"

Wordlessly Motoki handed his mate the newspaper ad and ran his finger down to the last line; pointing it out for Mamoru to read. _"Female applicants only. Males need not apply."_

AN: 8D Review review!


	3. Third Cup

Disclaimer: Usagi, Mamoru and the entire cast do not belong to me.

AN: For those of you wondering what Mamoru would look like as a woman, consider this: there is a well known (though untrue) rumor in the Sailor Moon fandom that Setsuna (Sailor Pluto) is actually Mamoru in drag. Additionally, updates will be made in accordance to the number of reviews left. This story has quite a few favorites and views but only 2 reviews. Just sayin'!

Coffee Princess

Third Cup

Mamoru had no intention of risking his regular, if somewhat low-paying, construction job on the off chance of nabbing the one at the coffee shop. That night he'd managed to be chosen for some road repair work and the smell of hot asphalt clung to him heavily. He made a mental note to shower more thoroughly than usual in the morning, rather than risk showing up as a very odd smelling woman at the interview. He stopped once more to his sweaty brow and was relieved to see he had finished his portion of road. Marking it off behind the yellow construction rope he began to gather his things. That was when the chorus of catcalls began.

She was an angel. Not figuratively, literally. Above her long blonde hair a fuzzy white halo was attached through some tricky wiring. Her dazzling blue eyes widened at the sudden attention and she tugged at the equally fuzzy hem of her mini-dress self consciously.

"What are you guys looking at?!" She said, her voice like a bell, "Haven't you ever seen a Coffee Princess before?!" Stamping a white-booted foot dramatically she shook a bag in her hand at them. The silken gloves she wore must have done something to her grip, because the bag flew out of her grasp. In a second the majority of its contents, coffee beans, spilt onto the setting asphalt. Peels of laughter followed as Mamoru let out an exasperated yell. "I just finished that!"

The angel turned her angered glare from his coworkers to him and he was struck by the blush spreading quickly throughout her cheeks. "I'm so sorry!" She said, seeming genuinely apologetic. "I…I…" There seemed to be a simultaneous realization that there was nothing she could do to repair the situation.

Suddenly he remembered that the coffee beans were still, in fact, lying on the hardening asphalt and he waved her off. "It's fine. Just go." Not bothering to listen to her response he knelt down and began to remove the coffee beans by hand. It was dark and so he had to rely mostly on his sense of touch to find them. If he didn't get it done fast enough they would set with the asphalt and the re-repair would be docked from his pay. Suddenly his hand came across something warm and he looked up to see the angel kneeling down next to him, helping him to pick off the remaining beans. The two worked in silence, save for the occasional commentary from his fellow workers, and soon they were done.

The rest was easy, with a heavy roller he smoothed over any remaining bumps. Once more he proceeded to get ready to leave when a touch on his arm surprised him. At that point the others had left and he was surprised to see that she had stayed.

"Uhm.." Digging through her purse the angel came up with another small bag and handed it to him. "I'm really sorry for messing up your…street…thing." She motioned in the direction of the asphalt. "Here. I hope you like them, I roasted and dipped them myself." The aroma of espresso came to his nose and he closed his eyes to enjoy the rich smell. By the time he opened his eyes the angel was gone.

* * *

It wasn't that he didn't respect women. In fact, Mamoru had always been moderately successful with the gentler sex. Whenever he and his work-buddies hit a bar it was always him to whom women gravitated. This wasn't to say that he was a ladykiller, far from it. At the most those flings had only resulted in the occasional week-long relationship. None of them had ever been able to hold his interest.

He wasn't different from any other guy. He liked beautiful women but he had never had any idea of how much it took for women to groom and preen themselves as they did. Laying there on the cold, sterile waxing table he found himself mentally blessing every woman on the planet for her noble sacrifice.

"Are you ready, Chiba-San? This one might hurt a bit."

Unable to bring himself to speak, Mamoru gave a silent nod. The wax "artist" patted his outer thigh for a second before ripping the cloth from his skin. Forgetting his manhood he let out a pitiful yelp. He'd only expected to have to wax off his facial hair but the full body wax had been an unanticipated event.

"Don't worry, Chiba-san! Only one more leg to go!"

_I'm going to kill Motoki. Even if he is paying for all this._

Red-skinned and popping ibuprofens like there was no tomorrow, Mamoru showed up at his best friend's doorstep. Instead of Motoki it was his younger sister, Unazuki who answered the door. The evil glint in her eye was unmistakable as she led him to the family room. There he saw that she had set up something of a makeshift salon.

"Motoki-niichan filled me in! Step right up," She ushered him into a barber's chair "this is totally going to be my beauty-school project!"

There hadn't been much hair-cutting involved. Instead, Unazuki had brought out a wide variety of wigs and had him try them on. He thought he would spend the rest of his life in that chair, while she shook her head dismissively at him but finally she let out an impressed "Aah!"

Not letting Mamoru look in the mirror, Unazuki then brought out a case filled with colored goops, gunk and liquids. Using suspiciously dangerous looking instruments she told him to hold still while she "put on his face."

His face didn't feel much heavier but he was still anxious to look at the results. The feisty red-head would have none of it however. With his eyes ordered shut he stumbled his way into a mirror-less closet with instructions to put on the clothes in his hands. As he changed he could hear Motoki's voice outside and Unazuki's laughter. Hesitantly, he made his way out.

Silence.

More Silence.

"Wow, Mamoru." Motoki spoke first, "You're kind of hot!"

AN: Review and the next update will be out in a few days! Or a few weeks. You know. Your choice D:


	4. Fourth Cup

Disclaimer: The SM Cast is not, and never will be my property.

AN: To be honest when I started writing this chapter I'd intended to publish it in a week or so. I didn't get as many reviews as I'd like to. But it was such fun to write! Also! I'd like to encourage you guys to tell me what's _wrong_ with the story. Oftentimes I can't see my own mistakes. As always you're welcome to compliment as well!

Coffee Princess

Fourth Cup

"Rei-Chan!" Usagi said breathlessly as she ran into Coffee Princess. "I'm so sorry! I had to make a trip to the dry cleaner's, then I had to stop off for lunch, then I had to eat it and on the way here there was traffi-" Two fingers on her lips cut off the remaining flurry of excuses. "My shift was over an hour ago, Tsukino." Rei's violet eyes narrowed in the direction of the silent girl. "Look!" Usagi said, already becoming erratically defensive. "I said I was sorry!" Before the fight that was brewing could begin, the phone rang and Usagi took the opportunity to escape.

It was true that they hadn't been unusually busy that morning, but the girl's constant tardiness was grating. In a gesture betraying her frustration Rei rubbed her temples just as Ami meandered in through the swing doors that separated the employee area from the rest of the building. The tension in the air did not go unnoticed and ever-vigilant, Ami offered Rei a comforting smile. "Would you like to have dinner together? My shift is over in a few hours." Grinning, the former shrine maiden motioned towards their garb. "Where in Japan are we going to find a place that'll let us walk in like this?"

Minako had completed her latest costume creation and the girls were dressed in the flowing organza gowns of planetary goddesses. "Why don't you head home and I'll change here? We can meet up at…" With a giggle the two began making their plans for later in the night. This left Usagi and Minako to serve while Makoto worked fervently to prepare the drinks as quickly as they were ordered.

"Oh, Mako-Chan." Ami called out absently as headed to the front to ring up some customers. "I forgot I had to stay late to help you with the interview, today. I've promised to have dinner with Rei. Will you be all right by yourself?"

"Since Odango over here was late today, I volunteer her to stay past her shift to help out," Rei said. Usagi sent a glare to the raven haired girl. "Figures you'd hold something little like that against me. It's not my fault I had to take the angel costume to the dry cleaner's! I couldn't have gotten those stains out myself, all right?" Before the curious glances of her companions could be answered the bell signaling more customers rang and they each parted ways to complete their respective tasks.

The rest of the day went on quickly. They had decided to close two hours early in order to give themselves time to clean up and interview the potential barista. Trying to stop Usagi from complaining, Minako opted be the one to stay late. This ended up being more trouble than it was worth; after some particularly klutzy moments Usagi was sent home and Minako still hadn't changed when the bell rang again.

* * *

To say that Mamoru was nervous would have been a grossly incalculable understatement. In the past Mamoru's gender neutral name, toned legs and fine bone structure had been a point of contention for him. Now it was those two things that were saving his fiscal life. Motoki and Unazuki had given him a brief pep talk, assuring him that he would easily pass the interview so long as he remembered to "act the part." At one point he considered backing out altogether, but thinking of the mailbox full of bills at home was a motivating factor if there ever was one. Picking up the purse which Unazuki had let him borrow, he gave himself one last glance in the mirror.

When he had first seen himself, a part of his male ego didn't want to admit that he could pull off such a convincing transformation. But there it was staring him in the face. His hair was still black, but went past his thighs in one smooth length, save for fringy bangs draped across his forehead. Unazuki had carefully crafted a pair of fake "assets" and he adjusted them under his black turtleneck. Trying not to let Motoki's indiscreet snort bother him, he gave his legs (highlighted by a purple pencil skirt) and heels once last look. A pair of non-prescription green contacts completed the illusion and, apparently, really went well with his skin tone. Inhaling deeply he grabbed his borrowed purse, résumé, and began the harrowing drive to the address which Motoki had jotted down for him.

He practiced his feminine voice on the way and had to force himself to abstain from the chocolate covered espresso beans "the angel" had given him the night before. They were over-roasted, but only by a few minutes. The dipping had been done skillfully and he had become delighted with them instantly. It was with a jolt that he realized that the direction printed on the bag of the espresso beans matched the one in which he was headed. At once he made up his mind to be hired there. If nothing else, maybe he could score a few more bags of the addictive treats. The thought that he wanted to see "the angel" again crossed his mind, but was banished with an ardent sense of pride. No. It was the coffee that he was interested in. Not a girl.

Maybe it was the anxiety, but the sound of the bell ringing at his entrance startled him and he had to take a second to gather his senses before moving forward. When he saw her he wondered if he hadn't instead gathered a whole lot of insanity. The girl was glowing as she hopped around the seating area, dressed in gossamers of orange and yellow, humming pop songs and wiping tables. Her long blonde hair whipped around her and he was absolutely sure that the graceful creature was the one he had run in to the night before. She stopped mid twirl when she saw him and flashed him a dangerously flirty smile.

"Hiya!" She gave him a wink and he could feel the color rising to his cheeks. He was just about to shuffle over to flirt back when he realized who exactly he was supposed to be. "MAKO-CHAN!" The girl said, suddenly not as graceful or delicate as she had been a few seconds ago. "THE NEW GIRL IS HERE. GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!" With a resumption of her humming the girl told him to take a seat and headed towards the back.

So there Mamoru sat, nervously crossing and uncrossing his legs. The girl from the night before had left him with a warm feeling he couldn't quite place but this time had been different. Had the electricity he'd felt when their hands had met been imaginary? "No. Nothing else matters.," He said, thinking out loud "Only the coffee."

Just then an Amazonian brunette took her seat in front of him and thrust her hand out in greeting. "Kino. Kino, Makoto. I'll be interviewing you today and I couldn't agree more. Let's begin."

AN: Hey all you invisible favorite-rs! Review!


	5. Fifth Cup

Disclaimer: I do not own or rent Sailor Moon or any associated characters.

One Very Long AN: I've been going to every decent coffee place in town and reading lots of Italian barista instructional books to gain a better knowledge of coffee technique. It's all very interesting! I will also be trying to write longer chapters. My usual writing style tends to consist of several short pieces so it will be a fun challenge.

On another note, updates are going to start slowing down now that I'm back in school. Hopefully the longer chapters will make up for it. I'm sure there are plenty of errors in this chapter, by the way: so please point them out!

Finally. I have published the first of my "Espresso Shorts". These will be one-shot, drabbles that take place in the Coffee Princess universe. You can find them under that title in my Profile.

Coffee Princess

Fifth Cup

Normally when someone reached out to shake his hand, Mamoru did his best to return the greeting with confidence. Maybe it was the fact that a very intimidating woman was standing in front of him, or perhaps it was the discomfort of his press-on nails but this time was different. Inwardly he cringed at the dead-fish handshake he gave his potential boss. It was bad enough that he had to pretend to be a woman for the sake of his job. This costume seemed to have taken on a life of its own and he didn't recognize his own voice as he introduced himself. It was weak, wavering, afraid.

"Nice to meet you, Kino-san. I'm Mamoru Chiba. I would love to work here. I…"

"Let's cut the formalities, yeah?" Said the tall woman, "I'm not looking for any HoshiBucks rejects. I want Coffee Princess to be known for selling the best coffee around and that means having the best baristas. Do you think you're up for it?"

She was blunt, if nothing else. There was such intensity about her and in the way that she looked at him. Immediately all the confidence he'd managed to save despite his foray into gender swapping was gone. Nodding to the affirmative, Mamoru handed over his résumé. He had known better than to list his construction jobs; but had made detailed note of every cart, stand and mall-kiosk coffee establishment he had worked at. None of it was impressive, he knew, but he was hoping that he'd be given a chance to prove himself.

"I know it's a little empty..." He started to say, before he was cut off. "I don't really care about the résumé." Makoto moved her chair to face him, looking him dead in the eyes with a bemused expression. "You said you'd love to work here. Why?"

_Because of an angel._

"Coffee is my life." He was surprised to find himself biting his lower lip. His brain didn't seem willing to cooperate with the inquisition. It was a miracle he hadn't run out of the establishment screaming. "Really? How so?"

_She made my heart feel something…_

"Nothing has ever captured my heart like a well made cup of coffee." There was a lingering smell of it in the air and it gave him strength. Gathering up his courage, he tried his best to explain himself. "It makes me feel safe and happy." A pause. The next part was something he'd never said out loud, though he knew it was true. "It's all I have left of my family now."

_She made me feel safe and happy..._

He could have sworn there was a spark of recognition in Makoto's eyes. There was now sympathy mixed in with the skepticism. If he was going to explain away the emptiness of his résumé now was the time.

"There's not much there." He began again, motioning to the piece of paper. "But I make a great cup. I know the works of it, the soul of coffee." A strange emotion was welling up in his throat and he had to stop and gather his wits. But Makoto gave him no chance to continue.

"I'd much rather see for myself what you can do." The résumé was placed back onto the table without so much as a second glance. She stood and motioned for him to follow. "Come on then."

* * *

He felt a little silly in the frilly pink apron, but the sight of a state of the art espresso machine eliminated all such thoughts.

"Make something." Makoto said. It was a sudden, simple and unexpected command. Mamoru hesitated. In the back of his mind he knew that this was his one chance. If he chose the wrong drink, it would all be over. He took his sweet time deciding before he begun.

Ignoring the selection of pre-ground espresso beans, Mamoru selected a cupful of whole ones. He began as usual, putting them through the coffee-bean grinder and he could feel Makoto's critical eye on his back. In the middle of the grinding process he stopped the machine and took out the choppy grinds. He had noticed the long forgotten Peugeot grinder instantly and had decided to make use of it. Slowly he turned the handle and stopped just short of completely grinding the beans by hand. He knew that the key to what he was about to prepare was that the beans be ground precisely, evenly and to perfection.

Carefully he returned the espresso grounds to the automatic grinder and grabbed the porta-filter. He deftly wiped it with a clean cloth before holding it under the hopper. Pulling the lever back and forth, he watched the grinds fluttering down neatly until the filter was full. With his arm and wrist straight he used the tamper to apply delicate pressure to the coffee grinds. After a second he twisted the tamper slowly, almost sensually until he was satisfied with the results.

He repeated this process three more times, each shot made with the same meticulous care. His arm was becoming sore from the tedious process and the nerves were getting to him. The first shot of espresso was immediately discarded. The two remaining shots were poured into a cup and topped off with a dollop of milk foam. A touch of nutmeg later he was finished.

It was perfect, he decided. The drink itself was nothing special, but it involved all the most important parts of making a good espresso. The foam and nutmeg were a sweet, girly touches: he was supposed to be a girl, after all. Technique, creativity and a girlish touch. If those weren't the qualities of a Coffee Princess then which were? Struggling to keep his hand steady, he handed the rich Macchiato to Makoto.

If he had taken his sweet time deciding what to make, she took her sweet time figuring out what to do with it. The cup was still in her hand as she walked around the room and inspected everything he had used. A critical eye was then sent to the rim of the cup and she appeared to wipe something off the rim. One unpolished nail was dipped into the espresso and pulled back hastily. Finally, she took a sip…and said nothing.

Years went by. Well, maybe not years but a good 10 minutes. In that time his angel walked out of the bathroom and breezed past the two. She gave him a friendly wink and in an automatic response he smiled back. The bell rang as the blonde left the building but still Makoto said nothing.

She was floored. That had to be it. He had made something so perfect that she couldn't find the words to describe it. His false breasts rose as he puffed up his chest with unabashed pride. Too long! He needed to hear the praise. He couldn't stand the maddening silence a second longer.

"Well?" He asked.

"You ground the beans too finely." She stated flatly. "As a result the espresso was not nearly as strong as it should have been." She shot a glance towards the espresso machine. "Your second shot took 33 seconds to pull, not 25. You waited too long with the third shot and let some of the over-extracted espresso to fall into the cup." Mamoru couldn't stop his mouth from gaping open as she went on. "You left the cup too close to the grinding machine and there were bits of espresso beans on the rim." He wanted to die. "You forgot to warm the cup before pouring the shots in and as a result the extraction suffered even more. And the crema on this is way too thin." Dying in a thick layer of crema would have been a welcome fate.

The angel was a lie. Maybe she was even a bad-luck demon in disguise. He'd blown it. His life as he knew it was over. Not only would he die a miserable bum on the streets; he would die a miserable bum who couldn't even pull a proper shot, on the streets.

"I..I'm sorry." His voice was soft as he tucked his chin into his chest. He wasn't sure what disappointed him more; the lost job or his lost angel. "I wasted your time." Absently he reached a manicured hand up to rub away the uncharacteristic tears. He could feel his mascara running and was only slightly amused at the thought that his makeup was ruined. The black smudges on his palm reminded him of his mood. Not wanting to embarrass himself further he took off the apron and began to exit. "I'll see myself out."

"You're hired."

Maybe his angel was looking out for him after all.

* * *

"You're such a ditz, Usagi!"

Minako stared at the ruined costume in disgust. "They couldn't even clean this gunk off! They're dry _cleaners_! They're professionals! What did you _do?!_"

Usagi twirled a pigtail around her fingers as she shrugged in reply to her cousin's ranting. "A little roadwork that's all!" She decided not to mention the involvement of an extremely cute guy.

"Angels are supposed to be graceful you know!" Minako tossed the white material into the trash before digging up a similar material from her fabric collection. "You'd better not mess this one up!" Ignoring the scolding glare Minako was giving her, Usagi threw her arms around the other blonde.

"Oh thank you so much! I'll be an absolute angel with this one! I promise!"

AN: Your reviews are inspiration for all my perspiration!


	6. Sixth Cup

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Sailor Moon, Starbucks or the idea of hot guys dressing up as girls.

AN: Uwah! Apologies for the lateness. A haphazard dating life and eternal sleepiness take precedent over writing, apparently.

This cup is dedicated to Kai'uri Otiyashi: who singlehandedly gave me more comments in one day than I've received overall in the past month.

Coffee Princess

Sixth Cup

Before he had bounded out of Coffee Princess, Mamoru had been left with a few explicit instructions. He was on probation, no one who made that many mistakes could be trusted to a full time position. He would be working a part-time shift for part-time wages. Once he was deemed worthy, he would hold the title of (only a small shudder occurred upon hearing it) Coffee Princess.

The money was nowhere near what he needed but he'd been working crazy hours from the time he was old enough to hold a job. At least he wasn't expected to work at night. He could practice his caffeinated craft in the day and make ends meet with odd jobs at night. Starting today, his life had meaning.

"I don't know why you seem to think puke green is your color." A man's voice said.

After adjusting his breasts Mamoru gave himself a once-over glance in the mirror. He had landed his dream job and was preparing to report for his first day of blissful duty. A low whistle startled him just enough to make him spin in his literal heels and he shot his best friend a rueful glare.

When he'd found a woman's turtleneck the same shade as his prized jacket he'd just had to buy it. That one purchased had quickly become a shopping trip. Suddenly he wasn't quite so critical of the girls that spent their days in the mall.

"It's my first day and I want to look good." Mamoru's voice held just a tad too much self righteousness to be believable. "Besides. I can't exactly go around in low cut tops and miniskirts now can I?" As if to punctuate his statement he shifted uncomfortably in the loose black slacks he'd selected for their ability to hide his…manlier assets.

After taking the handbag that Motoki had delivered, it turned out most women had more than one, he made his way to the coffee table. Gingerly he ate one chocolate covered espresso bean, not even bothering to offer one to his guest. There had been none on sale the day of his interview and he was making his precious supply last until it could be replenished.

"Whatever you say, buddy." Motoki quipped. "If you ask me you're getting way too into this femininity thing. It's not like you can work there forever you know? Sooner or later they're going to realize you're not exactly a princess."

He hated the statement because it was true. Not even the decadent taste of mocha could wash away the bitterness of it. Shrugging half-heartedly Mamoru tucked a few essentials into his bag.

"Maybe…If I impress them enough…" He didn't believe himself, but it was all he had. Kino-san had hired him for a reason. Maybe if he worked hard enough he could give her one to keep him, the real him, around.

* * *

"And then just like that! She told her she was in! I never thought I'd see the day! "

"Maybe she saw something in the girl?"

"I bet she's just tired of having to work with imbeciles like…"

The conversation between Minako, Ami and Rei was interrupted as Usagi no-so-surreptitiously made her way inside. Her blonde cousin and raven-haired coworker were both still fuming at her and she didn't want to face their wrath twice in one day. Unfortunately, the odangoed girl seemed to trip on an invisible bump on the floor and began to fall face first into a rack of espresso cups. In the middle of one very loud wail, Usagi found she was dangling less than one inch from the rack; held by the collar of her school uniform.

"Watch it! Those cups are antiques!" Makoto had just barely been able to catch her employee before she'd smashed into the delicately painted cups. Setting her friend straight she put her hands on her hips as the Coffee Princesses began to prepare for opening.

"Well then I suppose Mina-chan's told you all about the new girl? She's going to be showing up for the second shift today and I want you," Makoto pointed an unmanicured finger at Minako "to size her up for a uniform straight away. She can't work out of costume."

"Yeah." Rei chipped in grumpily, "If we all have to relive our high school years today then so does the new girl." Smoothing the hem of her gray skirt she sighed melodramatically. "If Usagi doesn't start shaping up then we're going to have to fire her and hire the new girl full-time. You should probably just take her measurements down and start sewing her costumes now." The aforementioned girl began to wail once again, stomping her feet childishly and insisting that she didn't need to "shape up."

With an air of authority Makoto called the girls to order and all bickering and tears were set aside rather than risk a very unhappy boss. "We all hate the uniform idea." She tugged at her old uniform's top, much too small to fit her _talents_ comfortably anymore. "But it was Mina-chan's choice and we agreed to let her pick the costumes."

Ami. All sweetness and temperance spoke up. "If nothing else, the uniforms will ensure a healthy clientele in the form of teenage boys. Business is business, after all."

Once the jobs for the day were assigned the Coffee Princesses each set to work. Usagi set up her display of chocolate-covered espresso beans, Minako prepared to take in a one-size-fits-all school uniform, Rei wiped tables down, Ami set the register and Makoto got the machines in the kitchen started.

* * *

If he had known about it, Mamoru would have been surprised to see Ami's prediction had come surprisingly true. Coffee Princess was filled to capacity with gawking, drooling, teenage boys. He wondered if any of them really appreciated the spectacular smell in the air when another spectacular sight greeted him.

"Espresso beans!" He said, just barely managing to squeak it out in his practiced woman's voice. His hand just barely grazed the edge of one of the bags when something touched his hand. As he turned to see the angelic girl he wondered why there had been no spark this time. Nevermind. She was talking to him and he figured he'd best pay attention.

"Come on girl! You're right on time but I've got to get you into uniform." All his heel-wearing prowess was put to the test as the girl maneuvered him between the gaggles of oogling boys. He could practically feel their stares burning onto his backside and was thankful for the reprieve the employee area offered.

Although he greeted his new boss enthusiastically Makoto seemed too enthralled in a new set of filters to notice him. A ravenhead passed by them without so much as a second glance, her arms carrying trays that held nothing but plain coffees. It definitely wasn't the espresso the customers today were after. Even Mamoru couldn't help but notice the way the uniforms accentuated the girl's figures. Glancing backwards he noticed a petite blue-haired girl simultaneously working the register and trying to keep her short, pleated skirt down. He had been so busy admiring the sights that he didn't realize he was in the women's bathroom until his angel's voice called him back to reality.

She wore a smile and a measuring tape around her neck.

"Well." She said, tapping a foot impatiently. "I can't measure you while you're wearing those clothes. Take them off!"

AN: Am I way too old of an SM fan? I just realized that I brought up the talents reference. For the uninitiated, it's a long-running SM joke that Makoto/Lita's "talents" are her boobs.


End file.
